ROBERT KERSHAW

Born in 1950 and a graduate of Reading University, Robert Kershaw joined the Parachute Regiment in 1973. He served numerous regimental appointments before being selected to command the 10th Battalion (10 PARA). His active service includes several tours in Northern Ireland, the First Gulf War and Bosnia. He has exercised in many parts of the world and served in the Middle East and Africa. His final army appointment was with the Intelligence Division at HQ NATO in Brussels Belgium.

On leaving the Army in 2006 he became a full-time author of military history as well as a consultant military analyst. He has written a paper on the military impact of HIV AIDS for Cranfield University and more recently was the historical editor for ParaData, an on-line archive for the Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces.

His narrative history books combine succinct military analysis drawn from thirty four years as a serving soldier with the physical and psychological impact of conflict on ordinary soldiers. What did soldiers at the Little Big Horn in 1876 or Arnhem in 1944, see, smell, hear or touch?

Robert Kershaw’s The Street about what occurred on the pivotal highway in Arnhem during the intense battle in September 1944 was published in the UK by Ian Allan and by Balans in Holland in 2014. His 24 Hours at Waterloo was published by W.H. Allen/Random House in 2014 is widely regarded as the outstanding recent book on the battle. His most recent book, 24 Hours at The Somme was published by W.H. Allen/Random House in 2016.

Robert Kershaw’s 24 Hours at Omaha will be published by Pegasus in the United States in 2019.

Praise for 24 Hours at The Somme:

‘A powerful account of this devastating day in history’ (Britain at War)

‘Visceral and atmospheric’ (Daily Telegraph)

‘Powerful and vividly-drawn’ (Glasgow Sunday Herald)

‘Excellent bottom-up battle history ... a harrowing portrait of the first day at the Somme’ (Sunday Times)

A definitive account of the iconic battle, uniquely structured over 24 hours of a single shocking day - a day that changed history.

The first day of the Somme has had more of a widespread emotional impact on the psyche of the British public than any other battle in history. Now, 100 years later, Robert Kershaw attempts to understand the carnage, using the voices of the British and German soldiers who lived through that awful day.
In the early hours of 1 July 1916, the British General staff placed its faith in patriotism and guts, believing that one ‘Big Push' would bring on the end of the Great War. By sunset, there were 57,470 men – more than half the size of the present-day British Army – who lay dead, missing or wounded. On that day hope died.

Juxtaposing the British trench view against that from the German parapet, Kershaw draws on eyewitness accounts, memories and letters to expose the true horror of that day. Amongst the mud, gore and stench of death, there are also stories of humanity and resilience, of all-embracing comradeship and gritty patriotic British spirit. However it was this very emotion which ultimately caused thousands of young men to sacrifice themselves on the Somme.